Do you like ketchup? Then, you absolutely must try the spicy sauce of sun-dried tomatoes. It’s my proposal to recreate a valid and tasty homemade alternative to industrial ketchup. This homemade sauce is very tasty, contains no preservatives, gluten, or lactose, is natural; we can also prepare a few extra jars and preserve it for a long time (like jams). Just like ketchup, the spicy sun-dried tomato sauce is suitable for accompanying and flavoring meat, fish, bruschetta, fries; or to fill savory panettone, savory pies, sandwiches, and so on. To fully appreciate its aromas and flavors, this preparation should be left to rest for a few days. The idea for this sauce came to me some time ago while I was searching online for a good homemade ketchup recipe which I found here.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 7 Days
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10.5 oz
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 white or golden onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk white celery
- 1/2 clove garlic (with the inner sprout removed)
- 1 clove
- 1 pinch thyme
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 1 pinch sweet paprika (or hot paprika for a stronger flavored sauce)
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1.7 fl oz water
- 0.9 oz brown sugar
- 1 fl oz apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Blender / Mixer
Steps
Step 1-
Put the sun-dried tomatoes in a small pot with water. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are very soft (to obtain a sauce without unpleasant skins on the palate).
Drain them immediately, chop them, and put them in a blender along with all the spices. Blend until you get a creamy, smooth, and velvety mixture. If necessary, you can strain the cream through a sieve to make it even smoother.
Step 2-
Finely chop the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic and put them in a large pot with the extra virgin olive oil and sauté over low heat for about 8-10 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent.
At this point, add the tomato cream, water, stir, cover, and continue cooking on the smallest burner, over low heat, for about ten minutes.
Step 3-
After this time, add the sugar and vinegar, stir well, and let the spicy sauce cook for about 10 more minutes, uncovered, until it reaches a soft and creamy consistency.
If the sauce appears too thick for our tastes or needs, we can, while it’s still cooking, add a drizzle of oil or a few tablespoons of water (without exaggerating because it would spoil the final taste of the cream).
Conversely, if it appears too liquid, we can add 1 level teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in a couple of tablespoons of hot water and stir until the desired thickness is reached (in a few moments).
Put the still-hot spicy sauce in already sterilized jars. Close and turn the jars upside down to create a vacuum seal. Store them in a cool place for at least a week before consuming; although the spicy sun-dried tomato sauce is at its best after about 3 weeks of rest.
Once opened, the spicy sun-dried tomato sauce should be stored in the fridge.
I recommend using small-sized jars for preserves, to avoid keeping the sauce open for too long.
